Spring-mattress.



E. L, FARHOW 61 H. GOODMAN.

SPRING MATTRESS.

APPLICATION FILED 111111.11. 1912.

Patented Nov 14, 1911.

2 :HIzETS-SHEET 2.

SPRING-MATTRESS.

Specieation of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. Ml, 11916.

Application led March 11, 1912. Serial No. 688,050.

v is a perspective view of our new and improved mattress, and Fig. 2, isan enlarged sectional 'elevation of a portion of the mattress. Fig. 3is. a plan view of a portion of lthe spring wire interior portion orframe of f 'the mattress and a section of the cushioning border at theleft.

The mattress as thus shown is purposely built to have the size andappearance of the usual hair mattress, so-called, the size and shapebeing about the same as such a mattress and also as light in weight andeasily handled and reversible like a tufted hair mattress, but stillgiving a spring wire foundation in its middle. In fact the inventionlies in a construction which makes such a build of mattress possible andwhich, in the present case, comprises upper and lower orA side meshes ofwire built up with straight strips or pieces of wire 2 and 3 interwovenat right angles to each other and more or Aless bent at their crossingsor angles and spaced apart at intervals of about an inch and a half ortwo inches so as to give the fabric or mesh all needed strength and yetkeep it as light as possible. Practically the said meshes or sheets ofwire fabric constitute the immediate foundation both for the covering onthe outside and for the spiral springs 5 on the inside which come`between said sheets and are interwoven at their respective ends withrthe said cross wires 2 and 3. In respect to arrangement, each springcenters axially and has its bearing' over the intersection. or crossingof twvo of said wires 2 and '3 whilev its coilis interwoven or run inwith two side wires in each of the series of wires 2 and 3', thus givingsaid springs wide and uniform bearings at each end. This makes a" wireembodiment or' framework of all spring material which infact is acomplete article 0f manufacture in itself and usually is made in afactory devoted to such manufacture while the upholstering or paddingwork outside is generally done at least in another department if not ina different factory and by an entirely different set of workmen.However, there is also this peculiarity in the said wire embodiment orframe that, after all, it is incomplete and not in the shape orcondition in which it is used because the springs 5 are not undertension. This is true because there is no wire or other means bindingsaid sides together between the sides of the mattress to which thesprings are attached, except to give such tension and the onlyconnection between said sides is the springs 5. -Hence in order torender thesaid frame really available in the bed we require means tocompress the sides of the frame within the compass and shapesubstantially as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and in which the springsespecially are compressed to their sustaining tension.

It will be noticed in Fig. 2 that there is only a perceptible differencein the elevation between the springs in the middle portion of themattress and the edge at the left, but this difference also has its planand advantage because persons will sit on the edge of the mattress andit requires sustaining strength at this point not really demanded in thebody of the bed, as is obvious. Hence the edge springs are and should beunder greater tension than the interior springs and are held in this wayby a suitably heavy cover or inclosure 6. This cover is of strong wovenfabric and designed to completely envelop the wire frame or structureand to be stretched over the same in such way that it will press the twosides of the mattressl together and compress all the springs more orless evenly, and in any event act upon the springs in such way as togive the mattress the proportions seen in Fig. 1. This of courseinvolves a cover of a suitable shape and size havingside and end edges 7that are comparatively narrow, say relativelyv as seen in Fig; 2 and asmay be deducted from the edges of the mattress seen in Fig. 1, makingallowance for the padding on both sides and the rolls or beads alongsaid edges. Tobe more defii'iite,A these straight edge portions 7 in afull-sized" mattress are only about ve inches deep including padding,and the border springs, when compressed, are only abeut three lio-vinches. The said cover or inclosure 6 is of course stretched .over thesaid wire frame and serves to compress all the springs to the usingtension. The complete effect however, is about as illustrated in Figs. 1and 2, with substantially flat sides, plus the increased depth bypadding or upholstering over the body of the mattress as shown. Thus itwill be seen that the top and bottom cross wires of the 'spring extendbeyond the edge or more expensive mattress, the all-hair mat- A tress ofcourse being regarded as probably of the best grade and of the highestprice. For our present purposes any suitable-upholstering sutices,because the invention lies more particularly in the new and originalspring wire base or frame and in the combination therewith of acompressing and shaping inclosure or envelop of a suitable woven fabricwhich will also give outline to the mattress and provide a foundationfor the padding as shown and described.

The net value of the invention is a mattress which is the equivalent ofan all-hair mattress but with a wire spring foundation which enables a'cheaper and more resilient mattress 'to be made than one that is allhair or that is part hair and other padding and which is exceptionallycomfortable tooccupy. f

The rolls or beads b confine the edge wires 10, which are of the samegage and as light and springy as the wires 2 and 3,- and therefore needthis renforcin roll or bead, and the advantage to be gained thereby is aspringy-like edge to the mattress whichwill flex under weight and comeback to straight lines again, thus preserving the shape of the mattressfor a much longer period than if relatively heavy border wiressubstituted light Wires 10. The rolls or beads b and border Wires 10 arefastened together at intervals by cords 12 or other suitable means.

A further feature of this bed mattress is embodied in the aircontrolling and ventilating tubes 11 extending at intervals through thesides. The springs naturally expand the mattress to fixed limits and theair tubes not only ventilate the interior but admit air slowly to permitfull and complete expansion.

When the mattress is rst occupied the air is in part slowly expelled,but in the meantime the air within acts as a cushion to supplement theaction of the springs. Tubes 11 are provided with minute air passages 14preferably located at the outer. end of the central bore 15, thusrestricting the passage of air in ine degree and excluding vermin, orother objectionable matter from entering the larger bore 15.

What we claim is:

A spring mattress comprising spiral wire springs arrangedqin series anda plurality of cross wires top and bottom threaded at right anglesthrough the same and extending beyondfthe edges of said springs, incombination with a woven fabric cover stretched tightly about saidsprings and wire structure and restraining the top and bottom crosswires in converging relations at the edges'of the mattress tonormallyretain the edge springs under greater compression than the interiorsprings. Y

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

ERNEST L. FARROW. HARRY GOODMAN.

Witnesses:

R. B. Mostre, E. M. FISHER.

